St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective Welcomes Kristen Mclauchlin as New Coordinator
Mclauchlin joins the regional initiative to bring about equitable change to the ecosystem within which entrepreneurs reside and work.
The St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective (STLEEC) announces and welcomes Kristen Mclauchlin as our new Program Coordinator of the Collective. In this role, Kristen will support our Board of Directors conduct a resourceful strategy to support and engage entrepreneurs in the St. Louis region under the notion that an entrepreneur’s success will not be pre-determined by their race or gender.
Kristen, a Maryland native and the daughter of two retired Air Force Veterans came to St. Louis to make a name for herself in the entrepreneurial community. She is an active advocate for promoting education, diversity, inclusion, and equity in all of her time serving as a literacy educator at Gateway Elementary School, a Ready to Learn Facilitator at Nine PBS, and traveling abroad with Webster's Chief Diversity Officer as a Global Ambassador to Accra, Ghana representing Webster University. In 2020, Kristen served as President of the Webster affiliated, Association for African American Collegians and coordinated the organization's 50th Anniversary Gala, which was attended by over 200 students, alumni, faculty; along with the Chancellor and the Alumni Chapter Leader as keynote speakers.
Kristen has an earned Bachelor's of Arts in Speech Communications and an emphasis in Philosophy from Webster University. Her ultimate goal is to be a future leader, educator, and mentor within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Lindsey Harrison, Co-Chair of STLEEC, said, "Kristen comes highly recommended to the Collective. We look forward to having her on board supporting our Board of Directors with her passion for community engagement and initiative to help set the foundation for successful entrepreneurs in the St. Louis region."
In 2016, BioSTL launched the St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective with 11 entrepreneur support organizations to create a first-of-its-kind regional collaborative effort focused on ensuring equitable systems to support entrepreneurs who are women and/or minorities.
"Over the years, my community involvement towards diversity, equity, and inclusion has positively impacted the way I present myself as a resourceful advocate in the St. Louis entrepreneurial ecosystem. I am thrilled to be working alongside the Board of Directors and fellow Collective supporters," said Kristen.
About The St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective
The St. Louis’ Equity in Entrepreneurship Collective is a regional effort working to ensure that systems built to support new entrepreneurs operate equitably, especially related to race and gender. The Collective is made up of over 300 individuals from organizations that mentor, fund and champion entrepreneurs in St. Louis.
After receiving a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation at the end of 2016, STLEEC held The St. Louis Equity in Entrepreneurship Summit to brainstorm ecosystem solutions from 150 participants. The Summit resulted in the creation of four action committees focused on: access to resources, measuring and sharing data, diversifying networks, and ecosystem navigation.
For more information and to join the initiative, visit: https://www.stlequitycollective.org/